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Lucius Fox

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This article is about the comic book character. For the baseball player, see Lucius Fox (baseball).
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox in Batman #307 (January 1979)
Art by John Calnan and Dick Giordano
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceBatman #307 (January 1979)
Created byLen Wein (writer)
John Calnan (artist)
In-story information
Full nameLucius Fox
Team affiliationsWayne Enterprises
Supporting character ofBatman (Bruce Wayne)
Batman (Jace Fox)
Batwing (Luke Fox)
Batgirl (Tiffany Fox)
Robin (various)

Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman.[1] He is Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that supply his equipment needs as well as financing his operations, and is the father of Luke Fox / Batwing, Tiffany Fox / Batgirl, and Jace Fox / Batman.[2]

Lucius Fox has been featured in various media adaptations. The character was voiced by Brock Peters in Batman: The Animated Series, Mel Winkler in The New Batman Adventures, Louis Gossett Jr. in The Batman, Phil LaMarr in DC Super Hero Girls, and Dave Fennoy in the video game Batman: Arkham Knight. Lucius Fox made his live-action debut in The Dark Knight Trilogy, portrayed by Morgan Freeman, with Chris Chalk portraying him in the television series Gotham, and Simon Manyonda portraying a young version of Chalk's Lucius Fox in the second and third seasons of the television series Pennyworth. Hugh Maguire portrays an Irish Catholic substitute of the character named Jack Fox O'Dwyer in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[3]

Publication history

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Lucius Fox was created by writer Len Wein and penciller John Calnan and first appeared in Batman #307 (January 1979).[4]

Fictional character biography

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As CEO and President of Wayne Enterprises, Lucius Fox is one of Bruce Wayne's closest allies.[5] He is an experienced businessman, entrepreneur, and inventor who runs the business interests that supply weapons, gadgets, vehicles, and armor for Bruce Wayne to use when he fights crime as the vigilante Batman. The character is depicted as being aware that Bruce Wayne is Batman, having replaced Alfred Pennyworth in cave operations, after Alfred's untimely death at the hands of Bane.[6]

Business career

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Lucius Fox is regarded as having the "Midas Touch", an ability to turn failing businesses into successful conglomerates, and is consequently a highly sought-after businessman throughout the corporate world. Fox is called in to the failing Wayne Enterprises and brings balance to both Bruce Wayne's private and business finances.[2] In Batman Confidential, he is shown heading the project that produced the prototype that would become the Batwing. He also manages the particulars of the Wayne Foundation while Bruce dictates the organization's general policies. Since then, Fox has been approached repeatedly by other companies seeking his expertise. After overcoming the original challenge of returning Wayne Enterprises to its former glory, Fox has elected to stay, having been given an unparalleled freedom in the company.

In Batman: Haunted Knight, it is explained that a young Bruce Wayne rescued Lucius Fox from muggers in Paris. Later, Fox asked him if he wants to start a foundation for charity, to which Bruce agrees many years later, deciding that not all of his money has to go to crime fighting.

Bruce Wayne, as Batman, originally forms the Outsiders to rescue Fox from Baron Bedlam.[7] When Fox later suffers a stroke, Bruce makes sure that Fox gets the best care possible and supports him and his family.

Family life

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With his wife Tanya, Lucius has several children, all introduced in the comics at different stages over the years. Fox's daughter Tam is introduced in Red Robin.[8] Her father sends her to personally locate Tim Drake, only to discover his secret identity as Red Robin and become involved in his conflicts with the League of Assassins. For a time it was believed Fox was dead, but this was a ruse to help combat his enemies.[9] It is believed that learning Drake's secrets has led Tam Fox to realize that Bruce Wayne is Batman. However, she apparently did not report her findings to her father.

Fox's youngest daughter, Tiffany, was first shown in Batman #308 (1979), but was not substantially explored until 2011's The New 52 reboot of DC's continuity, which reintroduced her along with her siblings in Batwing #22. The alternative future story shown in Batgirl: Futures End (2014) shows Tiffany grows up to be a gifted protege of Barbara Gordon, becoming one of several women to use the Batgirl moniker, with a pink-accented Batsuit.

Prior to The New 52, Lucius had a son named Timothy whose occasional delinquency embarrassed his father. Tim, now calling himself 'Jace' returns in the Infinite Frontier miniseries The Next Batman: Second Son.[10] Lucius also has a son named Lucas "Luke" Fox, introduced in the New 52 continuity, who is an intellectual prodigy and mixed martial artist and who, unbeknownst to his father, was selected and trained by Bruce Wayne to become the vigilante known as Batwing using a high-tech Batsuit designed by his father. Both Luke and his predecessor as Batwing, David Zavimbe, are agents of the international crime-fighting organization Batman Incorporated.

After Bruce Wayne announces his public support for Batman Inc., Fox becomes active supplying him with the company's resources and research prototypes.[11]

Alternative versions

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In other media

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Television

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Animation

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Lucius Fox in The Batman.

Live-action

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  • A younger Lucius Fox appears in Gotham, portrayed by Chris Chalk.[18] He first appears in "The Anvil or the Hammer" where he is introduced to a young Bruce Wayne by corrupt Wayne Enterprises executive Sid Bunderslaw. He tells Bruce about his father being "a very guarded man" and "a true Stoic" before sending him on his way.[19] This clue helps Bruce discover his father's secret life. Fox later reappeared in the show's second season and is asked by Bruce to fix the computer Alfred destroyed with Wayne Enterprises' secrets and research. Fox confirmed that the computer can be fixed but it will take a while.[20] In "Rise of the Villains: Worse Than a Crime," Lucius Fox emerges from the secret room to tell Bruce and Alfred that he fixed the computer only to find them not there and that there were signs of a struggle. Lucius reports them missing to Captain Nathaniel Barnes who makes an exception to the "file a missing persons report in 24 hours" part. When it was revealed that Alfred had been brought in by the police, Lucius was present when Alfred mentioned that he was attacked by Tabitha Galavan while voicing his suspicion that Theo Galavan is responsible. Edward Nygma later tipped off Lucius Fox, Alfred Pennyworth, and Harvey Bullock on where James Gordon is recuperating. While Gordon, Bullock, Pennyworth, Oswald Cobblepot's gang, and Selina Kyle went to rescue Bruce Wayne from Theo Galavan and the Order of St. Dumas, Lucius tipped off Nathaniel Barnes on where Bruce Wayne can be found. In "Wrath of the Villains: Mr. Freeze," James Gordon and Harvey Bullock meet with Lucius Fox at a diner and ask him about any cryogenic research done by Wayne Enterprises. He tells them that Wayne Enterprises did cryogenic research until Thomas Wayne shut it down for reasons Lucius was unaware of. In "Mad City: Better to Reign in Hell...," Lucius Fox has left Wayne Enterprises and has become a science expert at the Gotham City Police Department. During season 5, Lucius continues to help with the GCPD after it becomes a No Man’s Land following Ra's al Ghul's attack. In "A Dark Knight: A Beautiful Darkness", Lucius reveals that he is a black belt in Jiu-jitsu, having taken night classes. Before Bruce confronts Bane and saves Gotham City, he meets with Lucius Fox who has plenty of new gadgets to give the budding vigilante. One of them is next-generation stealth-tech which Lucius dubs the "Nightwing Project." In the series finale, Bruce returns after 10 years of training abroad and recruits Fox to help build his suit.
    • Fox appears in the prequel series Pennyworth, portrayed by Simon Manyonda. Introduced in the second season as a scientist affiliate of Thomas Wayne's who works for the CIA to infiltrate the Raven Union, he later becomes a member of the English League.
  • Lucius Fox appears in Batwoman, portrayed by Domonique Adam. This version was killed by former police officer and current Crows agent Miguel Robles three years prior to the series' events, leaving behind a series of Wayne Enterprises journals that Alice, Mouse, and Magpie decode.
    • The episode "Mad As a Hatter" introduces an A.I. version of Fox (voiced by Donny Lucas), who was created to assist Luke Fox. In the series finale, "We Having Fun Yet?", the Fox A.I. sacrifices itself to prevent Joker's acid from spreading throughout Gotham.

Film

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Live-action

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The Dark Knight Trilogy
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Main article: The Dark Knight Trilogy
Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox in Batman Begins (2005)

Lucius Fox appears in the Dark Knight trilogy, portrayed by Morgan Freeman.

  • Introduced in Batman Begins, this version is a research head and friend of Thomas Wayne who is demoted to the Applied Sciences division, which involves overseeing the supplies of aborted research projects and prototypes. Upon returning to the business, Bruce Wayne strikes up a fast friendship which allows him to all but recruit Fox as his armorer for his Batman activities. Fox proves valuable in this role, even when he is fired by Earle. Regarding Bruce's identity as Batman, he tells Bruce, "[If] you don't want to tell me exactly what you're doing— when I'm asked, I don't have to lie. But don't think of me as an idiot." Fox later discovers Bruce's real identity through Alfred Pennyworth, who calls upon Fox to Bruce's rescue after he is assaulted by Scarecrow's fear toxin. At the end of the film, Bruce, having gained majority control of Wayne Enterprises' shares, fires Earle and makes Fox the company's CEO.
  • In The Dark Knight, Fox actively participates in a support capacity as Bruce's armorer, designing a new Batsuit designed for more efficient mobility and which can withstand against dogs, though also makes Bruce vulnerable to knives and gunfire. When Wayne Enterprises negotiates a deal with Lau, an investment holdings owner who also is an accountant for the Gotham mafia, both Bruce and Fox look at the books and decide that Lau's business is illegal based on their profits. With Harvey Dent and Lt. James Gordon needing Lau alive to find where he has hidden the mob's money, Bruce makes a trip to Hong Kong and Fox accompanies him to make it look like they've only gone there to cancel the negotiations with Lau's investment company. When Batman uses Fox's cell phone sonar technology to create a computer system that can spy on the whole city to find Joker, Fox says that he will help just this once, but will resign immediately afterward. After the police arrest the Joker, Fox types his name into the system as instructed by Batman and the computer self-destructs. Fox walks away smiling, evidently having withdrawn his threat to resign.
  • In The Dark Knight Rises, Fox has become the president of a nearly bankrupt Wayne Enterprises, with Wayne Enterprises board member Miranda Tate taking over the role of chairman and CEO. He brings the reclusive Bruce up to speed on the poor state of the company's finances, which have all but evaporated after heavy investment in an aborted fusion reactor project failed to pay off thanks to John Daggett. Fox shows Bruce around the Applied Sciences division once again, "for old time's sake," introducing him to the new airborne vehicle he has nicknamed "The Bat", in addition to other new gadgets he has developed. After Bane takes over Gotham City, Fox spends much of the intervening three-month period hiding in Wayne Enterprises property with fellow employees. Bane and his men raid Wayne Enterprises and kill the special forces soldiers that infiltrated Gotham City while rounding up the Wayne Enterprises employees to await judgement at Scarecrow's show trial. When Batman returns, he lets himself get captured as Bruce Wayne so that Selina Kyle can sneak in, knock out the guards and break Fox out. Fox attempts to help him disarm the newly weaponized fusion core, waiting in the reactor chamber for it to be returned by Batman. Miranda Tate, who was responsible for the project in the first place, reveals herself to be Talia al Ghul as she floods the chamber to make re-installment of the core impossible. Fox manages to escape. After Batman tows the core away from Gotham and it detonates at sea, Bruce Wayne is thought by Fox to be dead and his estate is divided to cover his debts, with the remainder being given to Alfred Pennyworth, except for Wayne Manor. While researching ways he could have fixed "The Bat"'s autopilot, Fox learns that Bruce fixed it himself six months earlier and realizes that he is still alive.
DC Extended Universe
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Lucius Fox was intended to appear in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In the final film, he is replaced with original character Jack Fox O'Dwyer (portrayed by Mark Edward Taylor).[3]

Animation

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Video games

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Batman: Arkham

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Main article: Batman: Arkham

Lucius Fox appears in Batman: Arkham Knight and Batman: Arkham Shadow, voiced by Dave Fennoy.[16] Following the alleged death of Bruce Wayne, he assumes full ownership of Wayne Enterprises.

Batman: The Telltale Series

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Main article: Batman: The Telltale Series
  • Lucius Fox appears in Batman: The Telltale Series, voiced again by Dave Fennoy.[16] Like the comics, he is an employee at Wayne Enterprises and the main supply for many of Batman's gadgets and tech. He is also fully aware that Bruce Wayne is the vigilante, having sided with him to help make the city safer for his children. When the Wayne Enterprises board removes Bruce as CEO and replaces him with Oswald Cobblepot, he can either leave to continue working on Batman's tech or stay to keep an eye on the criminal. Lucius also helps Bruce track down the Children of Arkham after they kidnap Alfred.
  • Lucius appears in the sequel Batman: The Enemy Within, voiced again by Dave Fennoy. Lucius' daughter Tiffany (voiced by Valarie Rae Miller) starts working at Wayne Enterprises and Lucius tries suggesting to Bruce that she could be a valuable ally. Bruce asks a favor of Lucius to decode the meaning of a puzzle from Riddler. The puzzle turns out to be a homing signal leading to Lucius being killed when a missile hits his office. His death leaves many shaken, Bruce becomes more determined to stop Riddler, Alfred's already fragile mental state is put under further strain, and Tiffany desperately searches for clarity as to why her father died. In episode 5, it is revealed that Riddler was killed by Tiffany so that she can avenge her father's death. Depending on the player's choices if she doesn't know the truth, she can either be sent to prison without talking to her, or leave Gotham with the Agency. If she does know the truth, she will either sever all ties with Bruce and go into hiding to avoid arrest or she will happily join Bruce in becoming his new sidekick and inventor while atoning for her crime on his terms.

Miscellaneous

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Lucius Fox appears in the Injustice 2 prequel comic.

References

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  1. ^ Greenberger, Robert (2008). The Essential Batman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. pp. 140–141. ISBN 9780345501066.
  2. ^ a b Jimenez, Phil (2008), "Fox, Lucius", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 130, ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1, OCLC 213309017
  3. ^ a b "Batman v Superman Originally Looked Very Different — moviepilot.com". Archived from the original on 2016-10-27. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  4. ^ McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. Batman #307 (January 1979) Writer Len Wein and artist John Calnan introduced Bruce Wayne's new executive, Lucius Fox, in this issue of Batman. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  6. ^ "Batman Makes History With The Death of Alfred Pennyworth". ScreenRant. 2019-08-24. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  7. ^ Batman and the Outsiders #1 (August 1983)
  8. ^ Red Robin #3 (October 2009)
  9. ^ Red Robin #23–25 (May–July 2011)
  10. ^ Johnston, Rich (January 15, 2021). "Next Batman And Robin – Tim Fox, Damian Wayne Get Own DC Comics". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  11. ^ Batman Inc. #1–3 (November 2010 – December 2011)
  12. ^ JLA #604 – 605 (July – August 2002)
  13. ^ Batman: Earth One (2012)
  14. ^ Batman: Earth One Volume Two (2015)
  15. ^ Convergence: Adventures of Superman #1-2 (April – May 2015)
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Lucius Fox Voices (Batman)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved January 1, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  17. ^ Vejvoda, Jim (July 2, 2024). "Batman: Caped Crusader: Here's Who Is Voicing Allies Like Gordon and Alfred". IGN. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  18. ^ Nellie Andreeva (7 March 2015). "Chris Chalk Cast As Lucius Fox On 'Gotham'". Deadline.
  19. ^ "The Anvil or the Hammer". Gotham (TV series). Season 1. Episode 21. April 27, 2015. Fox.
  20. ^ "All Happy Families Are Alike". Gotham (TV series). Season 1. Episode 22. April 28, 2015. Fox.
  21. ^ Manning, Shaun (9 October 2015). "NYCC: Cast of "Batman: Bad Blood" Reveal First Footage". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  22. ^ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
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